Category Archives: Rock
RHYTHM ON THE RADIO: OVAL RECORDS-SINGLES 1974-1987.
RHYTHM ON THE RADIO: OVAL RECORDS-SINGLES 1974-1987. By 1972, Charlie Gillette was a successful journalist, based in London. He wrote for various publications on both sides of the Atlantic, including Creem, NME and Let It Rock. Occasionally, Charlie presented the BBC TV music program The Old Grey Whistle Test. It was a program that suited Charlie’s …
TIM BUCKLEY- LADY, GIVE ME YOUR KEY: THE UNISSUED 1967 SESSIONS.
TIM BUCKLEY- LADY, GIVE ME YOUR KEY: THE UNISSUED 1967 SESSIONS. Having released his eponymous debut album in 1966, Tim Buckley was told by Elektra wanted to record a followup album. Before that, Elektra’s founder Jac Holzman told Tim Buckley he wanted him to record a single. Then the album would follow. This made sense. …
ROGER WATERS-SOLO YEARS.
ROGER WATERS-SOLO YEARS. Following the departure of Syd Barrett from Pink Floyd, bassist Roger Waters became the group’s creative force. This was the case from Pink Floyd’s third album, Ummagumma, which was released in 1969, right through to 1983s The Final Cut. After the release of The Final Cut, Roger Waters left Pink Floyd. It …
THE CAN STORY 1968-1979.
THE CAN STORY 1968-1979. After eleven years and eleven studio albums, Can called time on their career in 1979. By then, Can were rightly regarded as one of the most innovative bands of the Krautrock era. They had enjoyed an almost unrivalled longevity. Can were formed in 1968, by Holger Czukay and Irmin Schmidt. Both …
NEW ORLEANS FUNK VOLUME 4-VOODOO FIRE IN NEW ORLEANS 1951-77.
NEW ORLEANS FUNK VOLUME 4-VOODOO FIRE IN NEW ORLEANS 1951-77. New Orleans has a rich musical history. That has been the case for the past hundred years. It still is today. Especially when late February comes around. Each year, the people of New Orleans celebrate Marid Gras. For this famous Festival, the Big Easy, and …
FEEL LIKE GOING HOME-THE SONGS OF CHARLE RICH.
FEEL LIKE GOING HOME-THE SONGS OF CHARLE RICH. When Sam Phillips first encountered Charlie Rich, he was singing demos for Sun Records, in Memphis. On hearing the demos, Sam Phillips thought Charlie Rich’s music wasn’t commercial. It was also: “too jazzy.” Sam Phillips then picked up a pile of Jerry Lee Lewis records and handed …
FORASTERO-EL SUBMARINISTA EN EL TEJADO.
FORASTERO-EL SUBMARINISTA EN EL TEJADO. For the last few years, Forastero have been familiar faces on Madrid’s underground jazz scene. It offers alternative venues to the ones that are regularly frequented by the city’s more conservative jazz fans. They’re not quite ready for Forastero’s jazz-punk sound The six members of Forastero take to the stage with …
MIKE HARRISON-FROM THE V.I.P.s TO THE SOLO YEARS: 1963-1975.
MIKE HARRISON-FROM THE V.I.P.s TO THE SOLO YEARS: 1963-1975. For Carlisle born Mike Harrison, the period between 1963 and 1975, proved the most prolific of a six decade career. During that period, Mike Harrison was the lead singer of The V.I.P.s and Art. They would later become known as Spooky Tooth, who signed to Island Records in 1968. Three years later, and with …
RICK WAKEMAN-1973-1977, THE GLORY YEARS.
RICK WAKEMAN-1973-1977, THE GLORY YEARS. In January 1973, Rick Wakeman released his sophomore album The Six Wives Of Henry VIII. It was a groundbreaking album, one that would forever change prog rock. The Six Wives Of Henry VIII was the album that legitimised synths in prog rock. This was a game-changer. Following the success of …
BOB DYLAN-FALLEN ANGELS.
BOB DYLAN-FALLEN ANGELS. Not many artists have enjoyed a recording career that spans fifty-four years. One man has. Bob Dylan. There’s a reason for this. Constantly, Bob Dylan has sought to reinvent himself. Having began life as a folk singer, he went on to release albums of country, gospel, blues, rock ’n’ roll and rockabilly …
MIRACLE GLASS COMPANY-MGC 1.
MIRACLE GLASS COMPANY-MGC 1. Scotland has always had a rich and vibrant musical scene. That’s been the case since the sixties, and is still the case today. A look at the albums released during 2016 proves this point. The year started with a new album from Emma Pollock. After that, the albums arrived thick and fast …
THREE MAN ARMY-A THIRD OFA LIFETIME.
THREE MAN ARMY-A THIRD OFA LIFETIME. Adrian and Paul Gurvitz were both experienced musicians before they formed Three Man Army in 1971. Especially Adrian. He had been playing professionally since he was fifteen. The guitarist’s career began in 1964, when he headed out on tour with Billie Davis, Crispian St. Peters and Screaming Lord Sutch. After serving his musical apprenticeship, Adrian …
AK MUSICK-AK MUSICK.
AK MUSICK-AK MUSICK. By the early seventies, the West German music scene was thriving. Across the country, new bands were being formed, and releasing new, ambitious, innovative and experimental music. This had been the case since the late sixties, when the first wave of new bands were formed. One of the earliest groups were Amon …
HARMONIA-“THE MOST IMPORTANT BAND IN THE WORLD.”
HARMONIA-“THE MOST IMPORTANT BAND IN THE WORLD.” Throughout musical history, innovative music has often failed to find an audience upon its release. It’s only much later, that the music’s importance and innovation is recognised. Musical history is littered with examples. This includes the group that Brian Eno once called : “the most important band in the world,” Harmonia. Despite such high praise, Harmonia’s …
AUTOMAT-OSTWEST.
AUTOMAT-OSTWEST. Back in 2014, Automat released their their eponymous debut album. This was no ordinary debut album. Automat was also the first in a trilogy of albums from the Berlin based trio. For a new group, this was an ambitious project. The three members of Automat, Jocem Arbeit, Achim Färber and Georg Zeitblom were all …
BLACK MOON CIRCLE-THE STUDIO JAMS VOLUME 2.
BLACK MOON CIRCLE-THE STUDIO JAMS VOLUME 2. Nowadays, not many bands announce that they intend to release a trilogy of albums over the next couple of years. However, that’s exactly what Trondheim based psychedelic space rock band Black Moon Circle did in mid-2015. They announced their intention to release three albums of studio jams. The …
THREE MAN ARMY-THREE MAN ARMY AND THREE MAN ARMY TWO.
THREE MAN ARMY-THREE MAN ARMY AND THREE MAN ARMY TWO. All too often, a truly talented group fails to find the audience their music deserves.As a result, the band only releases a few albums, which are cherished by discerning record buyers. That was the case with Three Man Army, which was founded by brothers Adrian …
JOHN MILES-MORE THAN MUSIC.
JOHN MILES-MORE THAN MUSIC. Forty years ago in 1976, John Miles released his most successful single Music. Since then, every time John Miles’ name comes up in conversation, Music is mentioned. That must be frustrating for the English singer-songwriter. That must be frustrating for John Miles, who released ten albums between 1976 and 1999. This is …